Halides + chiller

[SneakyOwner]

I have a 125 gallon reef currently and have 6x96 watt power compacts on it. I want to upgrade to 2x150 watt halides and leave 4x96 watt actinics. The thing is I dont exactly want to spend $600+ on a chiller and if I did the tank is in my room and I think the chillers exhuast and the halides would make my room extremely hot. Is there any way to run halides without using a chiller? Fans, any method you can give me? Water temp is currently at 82 degrees F. running 2 fans.

[prow]

AC

[lcstorc]

Fans will help but with the anbient room temp that high it is going to be very difficult. Also you will need to find a way to vent the chiller outside or at least to another room or you will be compounding your problem. Have you given any thought to LED lights? They are awesome. Pretty expensive up front but make up for it in electricity, bulbs, and reduced heat.

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by prow

AC

Yuppers...
All I know is I had 2x250 watt halides over a 40 gallon and my tank temps hovered around 78-80F. It's gonna depend on how much water your tank can evaporate out and what the ambient air temp is in the house.
You can always go with bigger fans I had a single 8 inch fan behind my tank blowing over the surface that came on with the halides.
Wish I could give you better advice, plenty of folks run halides without chillers, but it's hard to determine if you need it or not until you get the halides going.

[ragvette]

I ran a 90gal with 2x150w MH and never had a chiller. Just used fans blowing across the top of the tank. My Living room was also very open so the room itself never really got hot. Hot room = Hot tank.

Sounds like your room gets very warm now, you first need to cool down the room and then you can cool down the tank. I would blow the hot air out of the room into the rest of the house and then place a fan so it blows across the top of the tank.

During the summer time I would adjust my lights to come on later, say around 1:00pm so the MH wasn't on much during the peak hot hours.

Had a few bags of zip-lock ice in the freezer waiting for the really hot days.

[mattie]

it should be fine. BUT! thats assuming that you have a canopy that will allow for enough space between the bulbs and the water and of course fans or airflow thru the canopy.
but you are already hovering at 82 which is a little warm esp for december

I have a 75 with 2 250's and 4 110W vho's the tank runs 76 all winter but will hover around 82 during the summer and I have 4 fans on the back of the canopy you can get some nice cheap fans from wallmart.

[Witfull]

if you do get a chiller. remote locate if possible.i piped mine to the laundry room so the heat goes in there where no one cares.

ive also seen them remoted to the attic or basment. just requires a stronger pressure pump to lift the water higher.

check ebay for via aqua chillers. their is a vendor on there that i got mine from at a good price.

[tbittner]

Do you have an option of putting a sump in a basement? Basements typically stay cooler and it's practically a built in chiller in your house, free of charge (except for running a bigger pump to pump the water back up).

I have 2 250w MH's on my 120 AND I have a chiller but since I moved the sump to the basement the chiller rarely runs.

[AQTCJAK]

Welcome Aboard - you have a PM

[prow]

Originally Posted by mps9506

Wish I could give you better advice

AC ........................

[framerguy]

I don't know your living situation (rent, own, etc.) but look into a geothermal cooling system if you own your house and property. You sink some pvc pipes in the ground and pump the water through them cooling it. Deeper than 18", ground temp is a fairly constant +-55F. That's the route I'm taking in my new home/tank build.

[SneakyOwner]

Well I'm only 18 and live at home with my parents. Going to college in 6 months, and I am just trying to set something up so my mom doesn't kill anything while I'm away. I have the A/c set to about 74-76 all day but Living in Florida it is hot ALL the time accept for today it is very nice out and the tank is at 78-79 and the corals look way better than usual. LED's are out of the question way too much money all though I would love to have them. I could possibly route a chiller outside but then my expensive chiller would be open to the elements. I work at my LFS so I get a nice little discount on things. I'll just have to wait and see how things go but as of right now money would only pay for the lights and nothing else if the temperature shoots up and a chiller is needed.